Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

When the carriage arrived at the gate of Rongguo Mansion, Shui Rong instructed his men to rein in the horses, without making a fuss.

With Jia Lian recently deceased, the Jia family is still in mourning, and the red silk has been replaced with white mourning clothes, giving the courtyard a desolate atmosphere.

He only ordered Qin Zhong to go forward and announce that "Prince Bei Jing has arrived," and dared not make a great fuss, lest he disturb the funeral customs of the Jia family.

Before long, two people walked out of the mansion gate; they were Jia She and Jia Zheng.

Jia She was dressed in plain clothes, and although his face showed signs of fatigue, his eyes were very bright. He caught a glimpse of Shui Rong in a neat moon-white brocade robe (during the mourning period, he did not wear bright colors, which was both in accordance with etiquette and showed solemnity).

The gift boxes carried by the maids and servants behind him were of high quality, and he recalled how Lin Ruhai had hurriedly gone to the Prince of Beijing's residence after paying his respects to Jia Lian the day before.

The two men already knew perfectly well that they had come for Daiyu's marriage.

"Your Highness's presence is an honor; we are deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly."

Jia She and Jia Zheng bowed respectfully.

Jia She was usually lazy, but today he dared not be negligent in the slightest. Prince Bei Jing was the head of all the princes, and his visit at this moment was related to Daiyu, and even more so to the future reputation of the Jia family.

Shui Rong nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the maids standing before the steps, and said to Jia She and the other man:

"The ladies of the household are accompanying you to fetch Miss Lin. Please have someone guide Granny Zhang and the others into the inner courtyard to meet the Old Madam and Miss Lin."

"That's how it should be."

Jia Zheng hurriedly turned to instruct the servant beside him.

"Quickly lead Granny Zhang and the others to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion in the Grand View Garden and serve them well."

The attendant bowed and accepted the order, leading a group of maids and servants to the inner courtyard.

Jia She and Jia Zheng, one on the left and one on the right, led Shui Rong toward the main hall.

Upon entering the main room, one sees Grandmother Jia seated regally on a pearwood chair at the head of the table, a plain silver hairpin tucked behind her ear, and dressed in a simple gray-blue robe.

Although no sadness was outwardly shown on his face, a lingering weariness was hidden in his eyes.

Jia Lian was her eldest grandson. It was painful for an elderly woman to outlive her son. However, as the pillar of the Jia family, she knew that the dead could not be brought back to life, and she still had to shoulder the burden of the family. She could not afford to make any mistakes.

Seeing Shui Rong come in, Grandmother Jia slowly rose, a hint of warmth managing to appear on her face, her voice gentle yet dignified:

"Rong-ge'er is here? You've come to pick up Daiyu, haven't you?"

Shui Rong responded with a "Yes," her gaze first falling on Jia Lian's memorial tablet on the side of the hall.

He immediately stepped forward, took two incense sticks, bowed respectfully three times to the memorial tablet, and placed the incense sticks into the incense burner.

This action surprised Jia She, Jia Zheng, and even Grandmother Jia—as the Prince of Beijing, his status was far above Jia Lian's, and according to etiquette, he was not required to perform such a grand ceremony for a deceased scion of a noble family.

After lighting the incense, Shui Rong turned around and bowed to Grandmother Jia, saying, "Greetings, Madam."

As Grandmother Jia looked at him, the sorrow in her eyes faded slightly, replaced by a surge of warmth.

She knew that Shui Rong was giving the Jia family a lot of face, showing respect for Jia Lian, and also showing affection for Daiyu.

She gestured for Shui Rong to sit down, then sighed, "Thank you for your concern."

Shui Rong did not sit down, his expression gradually darkening, his tone becoming solemn:

"Grandma, Master She, Master Zheng, I've come to your door today not only to welcome Miss Daiyu, but also to have a few words I'd like to say to you three."

Upon hearing this, Jia She and Jia Zheng's expressions changed simultaneously. They quickly composed themselves, sat up straighter, and didn't even dare to breathe loudly—the Prince of Bei Jing's seriousness must be related to something important for the Jia family.

Grandmother Jia frowned slightly, raised her hand to press on the armrest, and waited for him to continue.

"The Royal Academy will open after the New Year."

Shui Rong spoke slowly, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.

"At that time, the Jia family can select a few talented young men to come to the mansion to listen to lectures. The seventh prince and the sixth prince will also study in the mansion."

All three were shrewd and intelligent; how could they not hear the unspoken meaning?

Among the current princes, only the Seventh Prince and the Sixth Prince are about the same age as Baoyu.

Shui Rong's words clearly pointed out a path for Bao Yu—to join the ranks of the princes' companions and be bound to the royal family, which would be a protective shield for the Jia family.

Before the three could think it through, Shui Rong had already taken out a neatly folded piece of plain paper from his sleeve and handed it to Grandmother Jia:

"These are some of my humble opinions that I drafted last night, concerning the way to govern a country and manage a family. The old lady can personally go to the palace to meet the emperor and ask him to be lenient and leave the Jia family a way out."

Grandmother Jia tremblingly took the plain paper, unfolded it, and examined it closely. The more she read, the more her brows furrowed. Finally, she raised her head, looked at Shui Rong, and let out a long sigh.

"Rong-ge'er, are you trying to make my Jia family risk the entire clan's strength to serve the royal family?"

Shui Rong spoke frankly, nodding slightly, but her tone suddenly sharpened, her eyes filled with a cold disappointment:

"Your Majesty is wise. Besides risking their lives, what else does the Jia family have that His Majesty could possibly covet?"

He took a half step forward, lowering his voice, but each word was like a knife:

"His Majesty is not taking any action against the Jia family for the time being, only because there is still some lingering affection between the old subordinates in Liaoxi, and the Prince of Xiping is also mindful of past relationships and is making some concessions for you."

"But besides that, what else does the Jia family have?"

"Jia Zhen is licentious and dissolute in the Ningguo Mansion, and the place is filled with chaos; as for you, Master She, you are infatuated with beautiful women and embezzling ancestral property. How could His Majesty not know these things?"

"If they don't repent and reform themselves, it's only a matter of time before their families are wiped out."

Jia She blushed with embarrassment and lowered his head, not daring to utter a sound; Jia Zheng was also full of shame, his fingertips clenched so tightly they turned white.

Seeing this, Shui Rong softened his tone slightly, but it still carried a warning:

"I may speak frankly, after the New Year His Majesty will send the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Zhongshun to Jizhou to reorganize the military."

"Jizhou is the gateway to the capital. His Majesty is serious about this. Think it over carefully. If the Jia family chooses the wrong side again, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Jizhou..." Grandmother Jia murmured, repeating the two words over and over, her face turning several shades paler.

How could she not understand that the reorganization of the Jizhou military was actually a way to settle scores between the army and the powerful families?

The Jia family already wielded some influence in the military; if they were targeted, they would surely suffer the consequences.

Jia She and Jia Zheng were ashen-faced and exuded a chill.

Shui Rong looked at the three of them and her tone turned cold:

"Of course, if you are unwilling to reform, that's fine too. You'll just be clinging to life for a few more years and watching the Jia family decline step by step."

He paused, a hint of old feelings flashing in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I have a long-standing relationship with the Jia family. My mother was close to the Dowager Lady when she was alive. If the Jia family really suffers misfortune in the future, I will definitely protect the bloodlines of your families so that the Jia family line will not be cut off."

"In the end, the nobleman and the royal family are all in the same boat; they share the same fate, and they share the same fate."

Shui Rong's voice was firm and resolute: "But if you just loaf around and wait to die, occupying titles and salaries without doing anything, then you can't blame His Majesty for being ruthless, nor can you blame me for standing idly by."

He looked up at the window, his tone tinged with helplessness:

"After the New Year, I will be heading south to Jiangsu and Zhejiang. I am too busy with matters in the capital to take care of the Jia family. I have said everything I need to say. Please consider it carefully."

After saying this, Shui Rong bowed deeply to Grandmother Jia, his expression sincere: "I hope that you, Grandmother, Master She, and Master Zheng will forgive me for my words today."

He turned around again and bowed to Jia Lian's memorial tablet, saying, "Brother Jia Lian died young. May you rest in peace today."

He straightened up and added, "If there are any important matters in the future, you can send someone to the Prince of Beijing's residence to find me."

"But before or after the New Year, I will either be preparing to go south or have already left the capital. The Prince's Mansion will probably be like an empty mansion. You need to make up your own minds - such is how things are in this world."

"Without giving, how can you receive?"

"His Majesty does not truly intend to eliminate Xun Gui; he merely resents your overly flamboyant actions, which have deviated from your duties as subjects."

Shui Rong softened his tone, "Look at the Shi family, they acted with humility and were willing to serve the country, so His Majesty personally comforted them; only the Jia family, with their sharp edges, caused numerous problems, which is why they have ended up in this situation today."

His gaze was deep. "His Majesty is only in his thirties, the perfect time to govern with diligence and strength. He is more than capable of keeping you old nobles in check."

"I say these things today only out of consideration for our past relationship, and because I do not wish to see the Jia family's century-old legacy destroyed in an instant."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zhong stood at the entrance of the hall and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, Miss Lin is all packed and ready, and Zhang Mama is also prepared. We can depart at any time."

Shui Rong nodded and cupped his hands in farewell to Grandmother Jia and the other two, saying, "Farewell."

After saying that, he turned around and walked quickly out of the main hall. His steps were steady, and his back showed a resolute determination, but also a trace of concern for his old friend.

Inside the main room, the three of them stared in the direction Shui Rong had left, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long while, Jia She was the first to come to his senses, his voice trembling slightly:

"Mother, Rong-ge'er's words are too harsh... Are we really going to do as he says? What exactly is written on that note? May I take a look?"